Roger Waters in the context of "Nigel Godrich"

A concept album is a musical album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Alternatively, the term may signify an album that lacks any explicit musical or lyrical motif, but is considered to be of "uniform excellence". Music critics remain divided on the precise definition of a concept album.

The format originates with folk singer Woody Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads (1940) and was subsequently popularized by traditional pop singer Frank Sinatra's 1940s–50s string of albums, though the term is most closely associated with rock music. In the 1960s, various rock bands released several well-regarded concept albums, eventually leading to the birth of the rock opera.

The Band was a Canadian-American rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario. It consisted of Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, drums, vocals) and Robbie Robertson (guitar, piano, percussion) and American Levon Helm (drums, vocals, mandolin, guitar, bass). The Band's music combined elements of Americana, folk, rock, R&B, jazz and country, which influenced artists including George Harrison, Elton John, the Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, Wilco, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

Between 1958 and 1963, the group were known as the Hawks and were the backing band for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins, based in Toronto, Ontario. In the mid-1960s, they gained recognition for backing Bob Dylan on his 1966 concert tour as Dylan's first electric band. After leaving Dylan and changing their name to "The Band", they released their 1968 debut album, Music from Big Pink, and its succeeding album, 1969's The Band, to critical acclaim and commercial success. Pink Floyd's Roger Waters deemed it the "second-most influential record in the history of rock and roll", and music journalist Al Aronowitz called it "country soul ... a sound never heard before". The Band's most popular songs include "The Weight" (1968), "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (1969), and "Up on Cripple Creek" (1969). The Band later released Stage Fright (1970), Cahoots (1971), the live album Rock of Ages (1972), the covers album Moondog Matinee (1973), and Northern Lights – Southern Cross (1975).